Scripture
The Collection for Jerusalem
1Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 4And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me.
Paul’s Final Instructions
5I am coming to visit you after I have been to Macedonia,[1] for I am planning to travel through Macedonia. 6Perhaps I will stay awhile with you, possibly all winter, and then you can send me on my way to my next destination. 7This time I don’t want to make just a short visit and then go right on. I want to come and stay awhile, if the Lord will let me. 8In the meantime, I will be staying here at Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost. 9There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.
10When Timothy comes, don’t intimidate him. He is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. 11Don’t let anyone treat him with contempt. Send him on his way with your blessing when he returns to me. I expect him to come with the other believers.[2]
12Now about our brother Apollos—I urged him to visit you with the other believers, but he was not willing to go right now. He will see you later when he has the opportunity.
13Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous.[3] Be strong. 14And do everything with love.
15You know that Stephanas and his household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece,[4] and they are spending their lives in service to God’s people. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters,[5] 16to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion. 17I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren’t here to give me. 18They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.
Paul’s Final Greetings
19The churches here in the province of Asia[6] send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla[7] and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings. 20All the brothers and sisters here send greetings to you. Greet each other with a sacred kiss.
21Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul.
22If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come![8]
23May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.[9]
Translation notes (9)
- 16:5 Macedonia was in the northern region of Greece.
- 16:11 Greek with the brothers; also in 16:12.
- 16:13 Greek Be men.
- 16:15a Greek in Achaia, the southern region of the Greek peninsula.
- 16:15b Greek brothers; also in 16:20.
- 16:19a Asia was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey.
- 16:19b Greek Prisca.
- 16:22 From Aramaic, Marana tha. Some manuscripts read Maran atha, “Our Lord has come.”
- 16:24 Some manuscripts add Amen.
And do everything with love. 1 Corinthians 16:14
I once had a pair of sunglasses that made everything look slightly blue. It did not matter if I looked at the ocean, a tree, the grass, or anything else. Everything I looked at had a blue tint to it. The sunglasses’ lenses filtered everything I looked at when I wore them and impacted how I saw the world. I had to ultimately stop wearing the sunglasses because I did not want them to impact how I saw the world around me anymore. The blue filter that affected how I saw the world around me was not that big of a deal, although it was slightly frustrating. However, our mindset is far more powerful than the sunglasses we wear. Our mindset, for good or bad, impacts everything we see. Most notably, it impacts how we interact with the people in our lives.
As we think about the importance of our mindset, we first have to understand the level of impact that our mindsets have in our lives. The mindset we take on impacts how we view the world around us. It also impacts all of the interactions that we have as we go throughout our day. If you are happy, those around you will mirror the same happiness. If you are angry, watch out because others will follow your lead. Your mindset will often influence those you are closest to in proximity.
As we think through the lenses by which we should view the world, Scripture teaches that love is one of the lenses we should put on. The apostle Paul wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 16, saying, “And do everything with love” (verse 14). According to this verse, everything we do, and I mean everything, is to be done with love. The word “everything” is all-inclusive. This is a lens for us to wear every single day. As we go throughout our day, we are to put on this lens of love, remembering how much God loves each person we will interact with, whether they are strangers at the grocery store, our friends, coworkers, or family members. When love is the filter, we show kindness, compassion, and genuine love for the people around us.
What lens are you wearing today? What mindset are you putting on today? Are you putting on a mindset of self-centeredness? Are you harboring anger and letting that anger affect many of your interactions? It is time to let love be the lens through which we interact with all the people around us. When we do, our relationships are strengthened, and we point people to Christ.
Moving toward action
Commit today to put on the lens of love. Let love be the filter by which you view your interactions with the people around you. As you go throughout your day, ask God for supernatural love for the people you engage with. At the end of the day, reflect on the difference this focus made in your interactions. May this mindset become a habit for each of us as we love the people around us just like God loves them.
Going Deeper
1 Corinthians 16:1-24 (NLT)
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